LAPEL — LAPEL — The matchup between Lapel and Pendleton Heights boys basketball was a tale of two teams looking for that first win.
When it was over, the Arabians had broken into the win column (1-3) with a 49-36 victory against the host Bulldogs (0-3).
The Arabians set the tone of the game on Friday, Dec. 2, with up-tempo play and a first quarter that saw junior Josiah Gustin score Pendleton’s first seven points as the Arabians led the opening period 13-9. Gustin finished the game with 14 points.
“We feel that one of our biggest strengths is our ability to get out and play in the transition,” Pendleton Heights coach Adam Ballard said. “We really want to throw it ahead and get to the basket as fast as we can, and we’re getting better at recognizing when it’s there and when it’s not.”
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Lapel closed the gap to 13-12 before clock issues delayed the game. When play resumed, the Arabians continued their roll with Gustin dropping in a bucket at the halftime buzzer for the Arabians to take a 22-14 lead.
While Gustin cooled a little in the third quarter, junior forward Aaron Cookston took up the slack with perfect shooting, hitting two from the perimeter, another basket and two free throws. Cookston finished the night with 18 points and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
“He’s an awesome kid to be around. You can see the passion he plays with,” Ballard said.
The Arabians’ defense pressured the Bulldogs, forcing turnovers throughout the game. Junior Isaac Wilson had four steals for the game, while Cookston had three.
Pendleton Heights had a 36-23 lead at the end of three quarters of play. Whenever Lapel would shave the lead to single digits, the Arabians answered with a bucket.
Lapel freshman Devin Craig hit a three in the final quarter to make the score 43-34 with 48 remaining, but the Arabians were able to capitalize on free throws in the final seconds.
Craig was the leading scorer for Lapel with 10 points, while sophomore Bode Judge had 8.
“You can’t look at their record,” Ballard said. “This is a really good Lapel basketball team.”
The Bulldogs scored more from the inside than in previous games, which is something Coach Kevin Cherry was working on in practice.
One of the factors was the free-throw line. The Arabians were 15-21 from the line, while the Bulldogs were 0-3.
The Bulldogs play host to Wapahani on Friday, Dec. 9, while the Arabians travel the same day to Mt. Vernon for their first Hoosier Heritage Conference contest, start time .
